MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. Russian adventurer Fyodor Konyukhov, who is currently on a solo round-the-world voyage in a rowboat, was once again caught in a severe storm while crossing the Pacific Ocean, his son and expedition organizer Oscar Konyukhov has told TASS.
Oscar maintains contact with his father, so he gave TASS excerpts from Konyukhov’s diary, which says: "Crossed 53 degrees south, which is a new benchmark for me and my boat, we have never been so far to the south before."
"The storm continues. I’m literally blind, with no wind direction indicator, it’s hard to control the boat. The wind direction shifts from time to time, and I’m afraid of making a mistake and finding my boat broadside to a wave. In this case, the boat will inevitably capsize," the diary says. "The wind has raised huge waves. All I can do is endure and survive. It’s 890 nautical miles (1,648 km) to the nearest shore."
According to Konyukhov, he has been unable to switch on his gas cooker and make some hot food.
"I’m not turning on the gas cooker and I have not eaten a hot meal for many, many hours. The boat is being rocked violently from side to side, so I’m afraid of getting burned. Better to be hungry than scalded," the diary reads.
"I have found my limit in this expedition, in these latitudes. A new day has risen: clouds are dense and thick, like a blanket, the remaining solar panels are not working, they need more sunlight, so I can only use my basic tools - maps, an electronic compass and communication equipment."
Fyodor Konyukhov, a prominent Russian adventurer, is continuing his round-the-world voyage in a rowboat, which he started on December 6, 2018. The expedition to circle the globe will have three stages: Dunedin, New Zealand - Cape Horn, Chile; Cape Horn - Cape Leeuwin, Australia; and Cape Leeuwin - Port Dunedin.
British boat designer Phil Morrison created Konyukhov’s AKROS vessel exclusively for the expedition. The nine-meter rowboat has watertight compartments capable of storing up food and three independent power generation systems, including solar, wind turbine and an innovative EFOY fuel cell power plant. The vessel is also equipped with two satellite phones, a satellite tracker and several communication and navigation systems.
Konyukhov, 67, has completed five globetrotting missions, crossing the Atlantic 17 times and becoming the first Russian who climbed seven highest summits in six parts of the world, and also traveled to the North and South Poles. In 2007, Konyukhov circled the Southern Hemisphere in a sailboat dubbed the ‘Scarlet Sails’ through the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The 102-day voyage did not involve any port calls.